David sat at the edge of the bed, the soft hum of the ceiling fan doing little to cool the heat rising in his chest. His fingers tapped nervously on his phone as he dialed Dennis. The line rang once, twice, then clicked.
"David, long time," Dennis's gruff voice came through. There was music in the background, muffled, lively, chaotic.
"Dennis," David exhaled shakily. "I need to ask you something, it's urgent."
"Shoot."
"I have just left SilverBox now," David said quickly.
"I saw you with a couple. They looked familiar. I tried to talk to you, but you were busy... Do you know them?"
A pause. Then Dennis gave a short laugh. "Oh, Mrs. George, you mean? That woman's loaded. She bought the damn club, man."
"She what?" David's voice rose, alarming Racheal and Kate, who sat across from him on the bed.
"What is it?" Racheal whispered.
"Who was that?" Kate added, sitting up straighter.
David held up a hand, trying to process what he'd just heard.
Dennis chuckled at the other end. "Look, David, we have to come celebrate. One last party before they take full ownership. The deal is done. I'm busy, talk later..."
The line went dead.
David lowered the phone slowly. His face was pale.
"What happened?" Racheal asked again, her voice tense. "David?"
He looked at them. "She bought it."
"Bought what?" Kate asked, dread creeping into her voice.
"Harriet," David said quietly.
"She owns SilverBox now. Paid in full." The room went silent.
David stood, running a hand through his hair. "Dennis said he sold it to her. He's planning to move out of Festac. Start over. New club. New city."
Racheal sank back down, as if the weight of it all was too much.
"I'm tired," she raged.
A tear slid down her cheek. Kate moved closer to her, gently placing a hand on her shoulder.
David crossed the room and sat in front of them. "If there's one thing I know, it's that they didn't buy that club for fun. It's a front. For their heroin operation. SilverBox is just a polished shell covering rot underneath."
Kate nodded solemnly. "Harriet's smart and ruthless. She doesn't make random moves. She plans everything."
"And now they've tied themselves to the heart of Festac," David muttered.
"A perfect laundering scheme. Clean money from dirty hands."
Silence fell again. The air felt heavier.
Racheal finally spoke, her voice cracked. "So what do we do?"
David looked up at her, "We expose them."
Racheal scoffed bitterly.
"You want to go to the police? That didn't work last time. They're either paid off or too scared."
"No," David stated.
"Not the police, we expose them where they least expect it, probably at the wedding."
Racheal blinked. "What?"
"We will crash the wedding, and then we will gather everything; bank records, recordings, receipts and photos we find in the cellar".
"Through that, Harriet's perfect little empire will be brought down."
Kate's eyes widened. "That's insane, but Harriet would be smart enough to not let that happen."
"Then we'll have to be smarter," Racheal replied. "We start with finding out whatever secrets are in the wine cellar."
David turned to her. "You said the key is with your mom?"
Racheal nodded. "She keeps it close."
"Then you'll need to get close too," David urged.
"Act like nothing's wrong. Make her think you've finally chosen her side."
"You want me to play pretend?" Racheal asked, her voice low, laced with disbelief.
David nodded, his gaze steady.
"Yes. Tell her there's no place like home, and that you've missed her and you're ready to make peace".
He paused, then added, "She's getting married, Racheal. She'll want a picture-perfect daughter to show off."
Racheal stared at him for a moment, then let out a weary sigh. "Fine, I'll do it," she muttered.
"Anything to bring this nightmare to an end."
Kate nodded. "We'll plan it all, together."
That night, Racheal returned home. She staggered through the gate, blood trickling from her mouth. "Mom! Uncle Adam!" she cried out, voice panicked.
Harriet opened the door, and froze. "Oh my God, Racheal?!"
Racheal collapsed into her arms. "They attacked me..."
Harriet shouted, "Adam! Call the ambulance!"
"Water... "I need water," Racheal whispered.
"Yes, darling, yes." Harriet led her to the couch while Adam rushed to the kitchen.
"Who did this to you? You're bleeding, badly."
"No, Mom... don't touch me. It hurts..."
"Sorry, darling. "We're getting help." Harriet's hands trembled as she gently wiped the blood from Racheal's lips.
The ambulance arrived swiftly, sirens cutting through the night. At the hospital, Racheal was wheeled in while playing her role to perfection, moaning faintly, feigning pain, fluttering her lashes weakly.
In the hospital room, Racheal pretended to sleep as nurses bustled about. She peeked once... twice... then jolted up as a nurse approached with an injection.
"No, please. I'm fine."
The nurse looked startled. "What?"
"Ssshh!" Racheal whispered. "I'll give you any amount."
"Just play along, please. I need this to work out."
The nurse stared in confusion.
"I am doing this to get my Mom back. I need her to believe it, so I can fix everything. I'll explain later okay?".
The nurse blinked, then slowly nodded.
And so, Nurse Faith played her part. She forged medical reports, invented diagnoses, kept Racheal hooked to oxygen while Harriet wept at her bedside.
"I'll postpone the wedding," Harriet cried. "My child needs me."
"I failed you, Racheal," she sobbed into Adam's arms.
"I am all to blame". Adam added, "I told Kate to leave knowing fuly well that you were both close ... I made you run... I drove you away." I am so sorry Racheal.
Nurse Faith cleared her throat. "Ma'am, she's not stable for now."
"But I recommend full rest. If you want her to recover before the wedding, she'll need constant care."
"I'll pay you fifteen grand," Harriet said. "Just make sure she's okay."
Faith nodded. "You don't need to pay me. But thank you. I'll stay close."
As Harriet and Adam left the room, Racheal opened her eyes slowly.
She sat up, grinning. "Fifteen grand just like that?"
"If you get well before her wedding, I might even get more."
They both burst into muffled laughter.
Two days before the wedding, Racheal lay quietly in her hospital bed. David and Kate had shown up, and the plan was going smoothly. At least they'd gotten Harriet to believe that Racheal was willing to come home.
"You need to see how sorry she was," Racheal laughed as she narrated the ordeal to David and Kate.
Nurse Faith was there too. "She even promised me fifteen grand," she added with a smirk.
"Wow," Kate breathed. "She must be so happy to have you back."
"I learned from the best how to pretend," Racheal said, raising an eyebrow. "And I'm glad I'm doing it right."
David nodded.
"So, Racheal, I told your mum you're okay. She believes you're still fragile, but strong enough to attend the wedding. She's overjoyed. Wedding's still on."
At the George residence, preparations were in full swing. Harriet was radiant in satin, floating through her small bridal shower like a woman reborn. Friends from Lagos Island, Abuja, even Cape Verde had flown in. The garden was blooming. A crisp, expensive scent wafted from every corner.
In the shadows, Harriet whispered to her private security team, men who looked like they could rip through brick walls with their bare hands.
"That wine cellar is off-limits," she said, her voice clipped and commanding.
" Anyone who tries to go near it, deal with them thoroughly. No mistakes."
One of the guards grunted, cracking his knuckles. Another simply nodded, adjusting his suit to reveal a gun holster beneath.
Meanwhile, David and Kate were at a small restaurant two streets away. The plan was simple, but the stakes had never been higher.
"You two will be dressed like servers. Once I get the key, I'll text you."
Racheal's voice played in David's mind as he checked the uniforms one more time.
"You think this will work?" Kate asked, eyeing her reflection in the car's side mirror.
David glanced at her. "If Racheal pulls off her part, yes. Once she gives us access to the cellar… we'll have what we need to destroy them."
That night, the eve of the wedding, the moon hung low, casting a pale silver light over the mansion. Racheal arrived just as Harriet was cutting her bridal cake.
The moment Harriet saw her, she rushed over, beaming, nearly knocking over a champagne glass in her excitement.
"Oh my God, Racheal!" she cried, throwing her arms around her daughter.
"Thank God you're okay. I was so worried."
Racheal smiled weakly, allowing herself to melt into the hug, feigning softness.
"Thank God you're okay, you'll be able to be my chief bridesmaid tomorrow,"
Harriet hugged Racheal tightly, her voice filled with emotion. Racheal forced a smile, her mind racing with the plan.
"I'd be honored, Mom," she said, trying to sound sincere.
"Meet my friends, Penelope, Veronica, Betty, and Cheryl from university."
They waved and gave polite, perfumed smiles. Racheal greeted them with practiced grace, her heart beating like war drums beneath her skin.
"Mum," she said after a while, "I need to rest."
"I want to be fresh for the big day,"
Harriet cupped her cheek. "Of course, darling. I'll come see you in your room before bed. Sleep tight."
As Racheal walked through the hallway to her room, something caught her eye. The door to Harriet's room was slightly ajar… and on the dresser gleamed the wine cellar key. Silver. Heavy. Tempting.
Her pulse spiked as she glanced around.
No one was close. She stepped into the room slowly, her steps as light as a whisper. The scent of vanilla and Chanel perfume filled her nose. She approached the dresser, reaching, very carefully, for the key. But just as she turned to leave, she heard footsteps approaching the room.
Her heart sank, she knew she had to hide.